Identification device for cars, vehicles, etc.



, ETC

R. A. CONNOR IDENTIFICATION DEVICE FOR CARS, VEEICLES iled July 21, 1922gnvanloz 4 V Elm an! I II -, Be it known that 1, ROBERT Patented Jan.13, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,522,497 PATsN'r OFFICE.

ROBERT A CONNOR, on rrnnannnrnrn, PENNSYLVANIA.

mnivrrricarroir DEVICE son cans. vmncnns, n'rc.

Application aieavui 21,

7 '0 'all whom itmay concern:

A. CONNOR, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Philadelphia, inthe county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have inventedcertain new and useful Iin rovements in- Identification Devices for ars,Vehicle's, Etc. of which the following is a specification.

g This invention relates to identification .each colored panelrepresenting a' certa.in numeral, the colored panels permitting theeasy-reading of the number at a relatively great distance.

'A"further objem of the invention is to provi'dealicense late oridentification tag embodying a. colored code for night, and a coloredcode for day, the codes being the same: with the exception that thecodes ,are so constructed that the reading thereof is facilitated" atdayand night.

A further object-of 'the'invention is to provide an improvedidentification-plate or tag embodying aface plate carrying a pluralityoftransparent or translucent colored plates in rear of which anilluminatinglanip is adapted to be placed and a pluralit-y of opaqueplates of different colors,

- the transparent or translucent colored plates 'tates the reading ofthe number during the facilitating the reading of the number at night,while thc'eolored opaque plate facili- (l2I V time.

A further'o'bjcct of the invention is to provide an identification plateor license tag having-colored transparent or translucent platesrepresenting the number of the tag or plate, a plurality of opaquecolored platcsrepresenting the number of'the tag' or plate and thenumber of the tag printed or otherwise delineated between thetransparent or translucent plate and the colored opaque plate, likecolors and the numerals I will be simple andeasy to manufacture, and

cation, in which drawings;

'taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2, showing the means of holding theface plate carrying the codes in position against movement.

form of license plate or identification tag,

'views, the letter A, hdicates the improved 1922. Serial N0. 578,551.

of the number being arranged in alignment, whereby persons will beenabled to become familiar with the code by association of theynunierals of the license number with the colored panels. v

A still Yurther object of the invention is to provide-novel means forholding the different colored opaque and transparent or translucentpanels in place on the face plate.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improvedlicense plate or identification tag of the above character, which willbe durable and efficient in use, one that one which can be placed at areasonable cost;

W'ith'these and other objects in view, the invention consists in' thenovel construction, arrange ent and formation of arts, as will 70 uponthe market he hereinafter more. specifical y described, claimed andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecifi- Figure lis a perspective view of a motor vehicle,'showingtheim'proved license plate or tag associated therewith. v

Figure 2 is a transverse section through the improved license plate ortag showing the means of connecting the same ,with the rear fender of amotor vehicle' Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through theimproved device,'taken onthe line"?r3 of Figure 2.

Figured is an enlarged horizontal section,

Figure 5 .is a front elevation of a modifiied which can be used onfreight cars, street cars or-the like. Referring to the drawingsin'detail, Wherejn'sirnilay referleeicecharacters designatecorresponding s t roughout theseveral device for use as a license 'platefor motor vehicles; and B, a motor vehicle with which it is associated.

' The motor vehicle B is-of course, of the ordinary or any preferredconstruction or type,.and ;iorms no part of the'pies'eht invention andhas been merely shown for illustrating one se of. the, invention. As

shown, the motor vehicle B includes'aleft hand rear fender {Opt/o whichthe improved license plate or device may be rachea;

While I have shown the improved license plate or device A connected withthe rear left hand fender of the motor vehicle B, it is to be understoodthat the same can be 6 associated with any other part ofthe vehicle thatmay be preferred or desired.

The improved license plate or device A comprises essentially a box orcasmg 15, i n which is adapted to be positioned an illumim nating lamp16 such as of the electric incandescent ty e, and this lamp 16 can beconnected with the usual storage battery of the motor vehicle. As shown,this housing or light casing includes upper and lower 16 opaque as] s 17and 18, side walls 19 and a rear hin ed wall 20, which may be held inits close position by a suitable catch or the like 21. This hinged rearwall 20 may carry a suitable reflector 22 for the electric lamp 16 if sodesired. The rear end of the light casing 15 may be closed by a portionof a lace late 25 which carries the night code C for tiie'license numberand the day code-D for the license number. As shown intermelicensenumber is written or delineatedin the ordinary manner as indicated by.the reference character E. This face plate25 extends the full length ofthe casing wider than the casing, is pivoted at a point intermediate itsends as at 26 tothe lower wall 18 of the light casing 15, and is adaptedtoswing in front of-the open rear face of the casing and position thenight code C in front of the illuminating lamp 16. The upper innerfaceof the base plate 25 carries suitable angle prackets 27 which areprovided with aligne openingswhich register with openings in the sidewalls 19 of the light casing 15. A suitable rod 28 is adapted to extendthrough these registering openings, and one endof the rod is providedwith ttlitaul 29, and the opposite end with a diamctrie opening 30,through which a seal 31 is adapted to 46 be laced so as to .prevent theremoval of sai rod by unauthorized (tl'sons without detection. The nightcode includes a plurality of translucent colorcd plates 32, 33, 34. 115and 36 and these plates are of dillrrcnt colors, and each colorrepresents a certain number. As shown, the plate 32 is of a blue color,which in this instance represents the numeral 3. The plates 33 and-34are of a red color, which in this instance represents the numeral 2, andthe plates 3,5 and 36 are green, and indicate the numeral 1. The portionof the base plate 25 which lies in front of the lamp 16 is provided withan .inwardly extending slot 37 extending the full length of the plateand this slot extends inwardly from the up er edge of the plate to apoint short of t e intermediate or longitudinal axis thereof, and thecolored plates 82, 33, 34, 35 and 36 are adapted to be positioned insaid slot, the plate being prodiate the day and night codes C and,D the15, is relativelyvided with spaced openings 38 through which thetranslucent plates are adapted to be seen. It can be seen that at night,when the lamp 16 is turned on, the light rays therefrom will emanatethrough the 7 translucent plates 32, 33, 34, 35 :md 36.

The day code D'includes a plurality of colored opaque panels or plates39, 40, 41, 42 and 43, and these plates are colored identically the sameas the translucent plates 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36 and represen the samenumbers. The portion of the plate 25 below the'light casing 15 isprovided with a longitudinally extending guide way or slot 44 ivhi li extends inwardly from one transverse tlgc thereof toward the other edge,and ends short thereof. The opaque colored panelsor plates are adaptedto be placed in the guideway and the plate is provided with suitabletransverse openings 45 through which the panels can be seen. The end ofthe base plate 25 through which the longitudinally extending slot 44opens out, is rovided with a transverse opening in which a removable pin46 is adapted to be placed, and one end of this pin can be apertured forthe reception of a suitable seal 47, whereby the pin cannot be removedby unauthorized persons without detection. \Vhen this pin- 46 is inposition the reiiiovalof the opaque fight-l8 is of course prevented. Itis also to notedat this time, that when the face plate 25 is in itsnormal position with the rod 28 in place, the removal of the translucentpanel is also prevented in view of the fact that the top wall 17overhangs the u per edge of the plate 25 and thus closes tl ie slot 37through which the translucent panels are placed.

Intermediate the ni ht code and day code C and D is left a b ank spaceon which the license number can be written or delineated in the ordinarymanner as indicated hy'the rerermce character is, and it is to be notedthat the translucent plates and opaque plates of like colors arearranged in alignment and the numerals which stand for the 'fi'erentcolors are laced in alignment with the colors for which they stand, thusflicilitating the reading of the license plateand permitting the publicto become familiar with the color code. 'It is to be understood, ofcourse, that a ditler'ent color is provided for each number from 1 to 9and for zero.

In Figure 5 of the drawings is shown a slightly modified form of theinvention which can be utilized'for freight cars and the like, if sodesired, and this form is constructed substantially the same as the formpreviously described with the exception that the number of the licenseor car is not written intermediate the night and day codes and the s acebetween saidoodes is reduced in heig t.

' identification plate From the foregoing description, it can be seenthat a novel identification plate or license tag has been provided,embodying a colored code representin the number of the license plate oridenti cation tag, and which embodies means whereby the code ran bereadily read both day and night.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit orscope of this invention; but,

I claim:

1. An identification device including a casing having an open side, alamp in said raising. a plate connected intermediate its edges to saidcasing so that a portion of the plate normally overlies the opening,said plate provided with openings permitting rays of light from saidlamp to pass therelhru and recesses at that ortion of the plate, whichdoes not over ie the casing, translucent sign panels in said openings ofthe plate constituting a night code and opaque panels in said recessesconstituting a day code.

2. An identification device including a casing having an open side, alamp in said casing, a plate connected intermediate its edges to saidcasing so that a portion of the plate normally overlies the opening,said plate provided withsppem'ngs permitting rays 0 light from said lampto pass therethru and recesses at that portion of the plate which doesnot overlie the casing, translucent sign panels in saidoggenings of theplate constituting a night 0, opaque panels in said recessesconstituting a day node, and numerals delineated on said plate betweenthe openings and rece sfles thereof, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

3. An identification device including a casing having an open side, alamp in said casing, a plate covering said opening and extending beyondone marginal edge of said casing, said plate provided with o eningspermitting rays of light from said amp pass therethru, translucentpanels in 88.1d openings of said plate constituting a mght code by useof different colors, and opaque panels carried by the extending portionof said plate constituting a day code by colors corresponding to thoseof the night code.

4. An identification device comprising a casing having one wall thereofopen, an

pivotally secured intermediate its ends to the lower wall of said casingand having a'plurality of longitudi-' nally aligned openings formedtherein, and a longitudinall extendin slot bisecting a portion of saidplate an communicating with said openings, said slot extending fromtheupper edge of the plate to a point short of the longitudinal centerthereof, a plurality of translucent different colored panelsrepresenting different numbers disposed in said slot and exposed at saidopenings, the upper end of said plate lying inwardly of the casing,angle brackets carried by the plate, the casing and an le bracketshaving aligned openings forme therein, a rod detachahly fitted in saidopenings, and means forpreventing the removal of said rod b unauthorizedpersons.

5 identification device comprising a cast having one side thereof open,81

identification plate pivotally secured intermediate its ends at thelower wall of said casing and having a plurality of longitudinallyaligned openings formed therein and a longitudinally extendin slotbisecting a portion of the plate an communicating with said openings,said slot extending from the upper edge of the plate to a point short ofthe longitudinal center thereof, a plurality of translucent differentcolored panels representing. different numbers disposed in said slot andexposed at said openings, the upper end of said plate lying inwardly ofthe casing, angle brackets carried by the plate, the casing and a lebrackets havin' aligned openings forme therein, a rod etachably fittedin said openings, means for preventin the'removal of said rod byunauthorize persons, and'a plurality of opaque different colored.panels.

carried by said late' disposed in vertical alignment with tli etranslucent panels.

6. An identification device comprising'a casing having one wall thereofopen, a lamp in saidcasin an identification plate piv: otally secure tosaid calsing closing said .opening and having a pluralityiof alignedopenings formed therein and a slot bisecting a portion of the plateand-communicating with'sald openings, said slot open to the top of saidplate, saidopening of the slot concealed by said casing when said platecloses the opening of the casing, a plurality of translucent differentcolored panels representing difi'erent numerals disposed in said slotand exposed at said openings, and means for holding said plate in aclosed position.

ROBERT A. CONNOR.

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